Does the thought of going to the dentist make your body tense with fear? Would you rather ignore the pain of a toothache than visit your dentist? You are not alone. There are a number of people who are afraid of going to the dentist, and these people prefer to suffer the pain than to get any treatment.
If you are one of those people, sedation dentistry can help you relax and let go of that anxiety. Sedation is usually used for most of the invasive procedures and also for simple tooth cleaning. Sedation dentistry will allow you to relax while you are on the dentist’s chair.
What Is Sedation Dentistry?
Sedation dentistry is a procedure wherein the dentist performs dental treatment while the patient is in a calm, relaxed, and stress-free state. This procedure is best for people who suffer from the fear of going to the dentist.
It is a fact that a lot of people fail to visit their dentist and get proper dental treatment because of their fear. More often, these dental problems get worse because they are left untreated. Through sedation dentistry, the dentists can perform treatments on patients in a clam and anxiety-free environment. This treatment method can be used to almost any kind of dental procedure and condition.
Patients with phobias related to dentistry and children who cannot stay still are the ones who undergo sedation. Sedation dentistry does not necessarily mean that the patients are asleep or unconscious. It is only used to help the patients relax and reduce their anxiety. Since the patients are in a sleep-like state, the pain that is felt is very minimal and they cannot sometimes remember what happened during the dental procedure. Since Sedation Dentistry will keep the patient still for a long time, the dentist can work freely and will no longer have to worry about the patient moving every now and then. With this, the outcome of the operation is usually successful and fewer trips to the dentist will be needed afterwards.
There are three types of Sedation Dentistry that are applied by the dentist and this will depend on the level of anxiety of the patient. These are the following:
- Minimal Sedation – In this level of sedation, the patient feels relaxed and is less anxious. He is conscious and can still respond to his environment.
- Moderate Sedation – The patient feels even more relaxed and can only respond to a stronger stimulus.
- Deep Sedation – The patient is in a sleep-like state and is usually unconscious. He will have no memories of what has happened while he was sedated.